Denver Herald Dispatch January 16, 2025

Rodeos, animals and entertainment

BY ERIC HEINZ ERIC@COTLN.ORG

Another year of the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) is here and with it comes a variety of rodeos and entertainment.

Taking place through Jan. 26 at the traditional National Western Center, the events draw hundreds of thousands of people to the area.

Paul Andrews, the CEO of the National Western Stock Show, said this is a year of new beginnings.

“We’ve got about maybe a dozen, maybe a little more than that, new vendors in the trade show hall that have some really interesting products that people will enjoy,” Andrews said.

“It’s kind of the year of the baby around here. We’ve got lots of baby animals that have been born, and in fact one is the baby

Scottish Highland cows that will be here up in our expo hall, and they’re going to be available to take pictures with.”

Andrews said there is also a new baby Clydesdale horse that will be at the stock show. e Clydesdale horses are large creatures who pull the wagons during the rodeos. Andrews said there will be about 130 rodeos throughout the stock show.

So far, Andrews said the early indicators, including ticket sales, show there could be as many as 700,000 people who visit the Stock Show. In addition, there are participants from all 50 states and other countries who will participate in stock show events. is contributes to what the NWSS estimates is a $171-million economic impact in the Metro-Denver area during the 16-day event.

“ at’s only the second time in my tenure that I can say that, and I’ve been here for 15 years,” Andrews said. “Our ticket sales are signi cantly ahead of any other year on this same date. If Mother Nature holds up on the weather for us, and we don’t get some 20-inch snowstorm or something of that, yeah, that will impact ticket sales. We’re feeling very good about (ticket sales).”

A full schedule of events can be found at nationalwestern. com/schedule/.

e NWSS also redid its menu in the steakhouse this year, including the addition of a 48-hour braised short rib “that is as big as my arm,” Andrews said.

“Like always, there’s something new at the Stock Show. But there’s also the same great traditional things that people love,” he added.

About 600 temporary workers were hired this year to enhance the events. Many have been on site since December, and some will work into February.

CEO change coming

Andrews has been a stalwart of the NWSS for decades. Having been its CEO for 15 years, he’s nally ready to pass the torch to another person.

However, the NWSS has not named a replacement at this time. e organization is going through a national search to nd someone who can ll Andrews’s boots. Andrews said he will stay on as the CEO until the NWSS can nd a replacement.

“I’ll be down here all the time at the next year’s show, and the show after that, and the show after that, God willing,” he said.

Denver moves recycling pickup to accelerate compost rollout

e Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is accelerating its rollout of the citywide compost collection program. All Denver neighborhoods will start getting compost pickup by March.

To accelerate the rollout, DOTI is making a trade o , eliminating the weekly pickup of recycling. Denver residents will instead get recycling pickup every other week. Compost pickup will be weekly as will trash pickup.  Another change to make the accelerated compost rollout possible is large-item pickup will only come once every nine weeks. DOTI’s goal is to divert 50% of all waste from the land ll by 2027. By the end of this process the department projects to have around 115,000 compost customers and 180,000 recycling and trash customers.

Denver residents who do not yet have compost service should have gotten a letter with more details on selecting their compost cart size. More details are available at: Denvergov.org/CompostRollout.

Compost carts can handle any kind of food waste including food scraps, egg shells and even bones. ey can also handle yard debris like weeds, grass clippings, leaves, and small tree branches. Denver no longer accepts paper products or products labeled as compostable such as cups or plates in compost bins as of April 2023, since the state’s largest compost processor stopped taking those items.

DOTI stated it was comfortable going back to recycling pickups every other week as weekly collection offered in 2023 and 2024 has not yielded “a signi cant increase in recyclables collected, while trucks circled the city twice as often.”

e department said residents should break down their cardboard boxes to maximize space in their compost bins. If people need extra space, DOTI will take requests for a second compost bin sometime starting in the second quarter of this year

A favorite at the National Western Stock Show is the stagecoach entrance. Pulled by six magnificent horses, this replica is a reminder of how people, mail and goods used to cross Colorado. FILE PHOTO

BY ALLEN COWGILL SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Homelessness among families spiked in 2024

Colorado was one of 4 states where rates more than doubled, HUD report says

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado saw one of the biggest increases in the nation in the number of families who were homeless in 2024 — a 134% jump from the previous year, according to a federal report that painted the state’s homelessness crisis in a harsher light than previous regional counts.

e rise put the state among four in the country, including Illinois, Wyoming and Hawaii, where the number of homeless families more than doubled. e results have advocates in Colorado calling for further investment in prevention programs to keep more families from slipping into homelessness.

e news, part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development annual report on homelessness, made clear that while Colorado made progress in sheltering people who had been living on the streets, it saw a huge increase in families with children who were living in shelters. e count — unlike the Denver area homeless count released a few months ago — includes the thousands of migrants who were sleeping in city-funded hotel shelters last winter.

Here’s a deeper look at the numbers and what the federal report revealed about homelessness in Colorado compared with the rest of the nation.

What does the report say about family homelessness?

e nationwide count, taken on a single night in January 2024, was the highest ever recorded at 771,480 people living outside, in homeless shelters, campgrounds, airports or vehicles. at’s about 23 out of every 10,000 people in the United Streets.

HUD o cials pointed to several reasons, including a “national a ordable housing crisis,” as well as rising in ation coupled with stagnant wages, and “persisting e ects of systemic racism” that have stretched homelessness services.

e federal report also pointed to the rise in immigration and public health crises including the COVID pandemic.

Most states, 39 of them plus Washington, D.C., reported increases in the number of families with children who were homeless.

e o cial counts do not include families “doubled up” with other people, such as living in friends’ basements or moving in with relatives. ey also do not include “couch sur ng,” which is common for younger people, ages 18-24, who are facing housing instability.

is means the count of families who cannot a ord their own home or apartment is likely much higher than the federal count shows.

e states that received the highest numbers of migrants from South America during the past two years were also among those with the highest increases in family homelessness. at included Colorado, Illinois and New York.

Nationwide, homelessness among families with children rose 39% from the 2023 count, while overall homelessness increased 18%.

Nearly 150,000 children were homeless across the nation on the night of the

A screenshot of a HUD graphic showing the increase in the number of homeless families with children across the nation.

count, which was 32,618 more children than the prior year.

Homelessness among veterans, Black people is improving

e good news was about veteran homelessness, which was one segment of the population to decline — by 8% nationally and 44% in Colorado.

People who identi ed as Black, African American or African were overrepresented among the homeless population. Black people, who make up about 12% of the U.S. population, accounted for 32% of people who were homeless on the night of the count. is was an improvement from 2023, when Black people made up 37% of the homeless population.

Why is the federal report di erent from counts in Colorado?

e number of homeless families grew by nearly 50%, to 3,136 from 2,101, according to the seven-county report released in August. at was bad, but not nearly as dramatic as the federal government’s 134% increase.

at’s because the metro report did not include the 4,300 new migrants, mainly from South America, who were sleeping in city-funded shelters on the night of the tally.

e federal report counted 18,715 who are homeless statewide, including 8,519 families.

e Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, which organizes the annual January count, said that leaving migrants out of the count was the best way to determine “the most accurate information of those experiencing homelessness on a single night.” at 4,300 number has dropped to zero since the city has shut down its seven hotel shelters that had been lled with recent migrants during the height of the immigration. Instead, the city has focused e orts on an asylum-seeker program that o ers rental assistance and job training. is year, when volunteers spread out in the dark at the end of this month to count people living outside and in shelters, migrants who are homeless will be

counted among the rest, the homeless initiative said.

e headline from Denver’s count was that fewer people were living outside, which was expected after Mayor Mike Johnston campaigned on a promise to house 1,000 people by the end of his rst year in o ce. e city’s drop in unsheltered homelessness was among the largest in the nation, in line with Houston and better than Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

ere were 1,273 people sleeping outside in Denver on the January night volunteers and outreach workers conducted the count, down from 1,423 a year prior.

e regional count includes Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broom eld, Denver, Douglas and Je erson counties.

e federal count tallies up so-called “point-in-time counts” that happen across the nation, including in the seven-county Denver metro area, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and other locations across Colorado. HUD requires cities across the country to do the count every year.

e Denver count found that the number of people living in shelters, transitional housing, tents and on the streets of Denver climbed to 6,539 from 5,818 the previous year. In the seven-county metro area, homelessness rose 10% to 9,977 people.

In El Paso County, the overall number of people who were homeless dropped 12% from 2023 to 2024. e tally last January included 1,146 people living on the streets and in shelters. However, the number of families increased 12% — “indicating the widespread nature of the affordable housing crisis,” according to the service provider Rocky Mountain Human Services.

What solutions are in the works to prevent family homelessness?

e migrant crisis during the past two years led to children living in tent encampments and under bridges, a situation not normally seen in the Denver area.

“When we see children in encampments, that’s hard on our collective soul,”

said Britta Fisher, CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “It would happen rarely and our outreach workers are equipped to help address situations where a child is involved but the kind of very visible encampments that included families and children that we have seen over the last couple of years was at a new level for our community.

“And I think when you look at the numbers, you see that the high cost of housing is having a tremendous impact on families.”

e rise in family homelessness — along with the anecdotal evidence that more families, including recent migrants, are doubling up in housing — means that Colorado should increase e orts to prevent homelessness. at includes investing more in rapid rehousing programs, which provide quick rental assistance for people who have recently become homeless, Fisher said.

People who are recently homeless and ask for help at a shelter or homeless service provider, including the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, can receive nancial assistance that tapers o over two years.

Families facing the possibility of homelessness also need help with child care, which is why the Coalition has a child care center that provides low-cost care for the children of families who are facing homelessness.

“Income, health and relationship changes are the kinds of stressors to family housing stability and housing stability in general,” Fisher said.

Besides those programs, homeless advocates are working on proposals for the legislative session that begins Wednesday. ose include a “homeless infrastructure” bill that would, among other things, put standards in place to measure homelessness and a ordable housing efforts across counties.

“It is something we need to take seriously as a state,” Fisher said.

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

I’ll

Say It Again:

The Mill Levy Should Be a Required Field on MLS Listings

The dollar amount of property taxes has always been a data field on the MLS, because buyers need to know how much they should expect to pay if they purchase a listing. But that number does not provide context to the home buyer. In other words, how do the taxes for this home compare with the taxes for a home of the same value nearby, across town, or elsewhere in the metro area? The answer is in the mill levy.

A few years ago, REcolorado (the Denver MLS) and other MLSs added a “yes/no” field for metropolitan tax district, but how much does that tax district add to the property taxes for that listing? MLS listings don’t currently have a data field for mill levy.

some counties, including Denver, just give the total mill levy and don’t, as far as I could tell, indicate how much of that mill levy is from a metro tax district.

valuing the home. That cost is literally hidden from the buyer of a home in any metropolitan tax district.

signs to each parcel.

Some metro districts have a zero mill levy, but some metro tax districts have mill levies so high that they double the tax bill for a home compared to a comparable one nearby that is not in that tax district.

A good broker should let a buyer know the premium he or she is paying to buy a home in such a district, but that broker cannot currently get that information from the MLS listing. The broker would have to go to the assessor’s web page for that listing in the county where that home is located and look at the breakdown of mill levies for that house.

Jefferson County provides the breakdown of mill levies by each taxing jurisdiction, but

An example of how much taxes can vary can be found in two Jeffco homes that sold in the last few months. One house in the Mesa Meadows section of Golden which sold for $1,500,000 has a mill levy of 91, like all homes in the City of Golden, which has no metro tax districts. The tax bill for that home is $6,761. Meanwhile, a house three miles to the north in a metro tax district which sold for $972,500 has a mill levy of 165, resulting in a 2024 tax bill of $10,105, a $3,344 difference.

A metropolitan tax district is created to fund the infrastructure (roads, gutters, sewers, water lines, sidewalks, etc.) for a new subdivision. Instead of the developer paying those costs, a bond issue provides the funds for that purpose, and home buyers in that subdivision will be paying an extra mill levy for two or more decades to pay off those bonds.

In the above example, the metro tax district’s mill levy is 70 mills. The owner of that home will pay $100,000 or more over time for the infrastructure costs. In Golden, those costs were paid for by the developer or the city. Yet, an appraiser or real estate broker would not factor that long-term expense when

Does a Seller Say They Won’t Repair Anything?

Every buyer should hire a professional inspector, even if a home is sold “as-is.” That’s a bogus term intended to convey that the seller won’t correct any defects uncovered by the buyer’s inspector. I call it “bogus,” however, because the contract does or should contain an inspection termination deadline, and, even if it doesn’t, the buyer always retains the right to inspect the property.

If your inspector finds a serious issue, you can threaten to terminate because of it, and it’s likely the seller will agree to deal with it rather than lose the contract and start over, in which case he must disclose the newly found issue to the next buyer.

That being said, the seller could still call the buyer’s bluff, especially if the buyer’s agent has given the listing agent the impression that the buyer loves the house and would

not let a few thousand dollars in repairs stand in the way of getting a house they love.

That was the situation with a listing of mine. I had been told that the buyer lost out on a prior listing, and their offer had a clause saying they would beat any competing offer by $5,000. That won them the contract, but my seller (who met the buyers a couple times during showings and inspection) knew how much the buyer loved the property and wouldn’t want to lose it.

Therefore, when the inspection objection included a demand for a 5-figure concession to fix a major health and safety problem that any other seller would have agreed to fix, my seller refused, and the demand was withdrawn.

Remember: getting under contract is only the beginning; inspection is a negotiation, too.

When an appraiser or real estate broker values a home, they look at square footage, lot size, garage, bedrooms/bathrooms — in other words, everything but the tax rate (and the HOA dues) when doing an appraisal or comparative market analysis. Yet, the bottom line cost of owning homes in a metropolitan tax district can be dramatically higher.

That is why I have argued for over a decade that REcolorado should include the mill levy for each listing and not just the dollar amount of the property taxes.

Some counties make it easier than others to find the mill levy. In Jefferson County, the assessor’s website breaks down the mill levy from every taxing jurisdiction. A link provides the dollar subtotals and total.

You can, however, calculate the tax bill from the assessor’s website by multiplying the mill levy by the assessed valuation of the property. The assessed valuation for residential real estate statewide is currently 7.15% of the “full valuation” which the assessor as-

When you purchase a home that is within a homeowner’s association, state law requires that you receive a wide array of documents, financial and otherwise, about that association.

These include, for example, the covenants, the rules and regulations, financial statements, bylaws, budget, reserve study, the minutes of the last six months of board meetings, and the minutes of the most recent annual membership meeting.

The contract to buy and sell a home in Colorado provides deadlines for providing these association documents, objecting to them, and resolving any objections. A buyer can terminate a contract and get the earnest money deposit refunded if he or she is unhappy with what those documents reveal.

For example, the reserves of the association may be insufficient, suggesting that a special assessment is likely. The minutes might reveal issues which are upsetting to some members, or legal action which the association is undertaking, at some expense, to enforce its rules against one or more members. These and other reasons could exist that might cause the buyer to terminate the contract.

Very few listing brokers make those documents available to prospective buyers in ad-

Thus, if your home has a full valuation of $1,000,000, the assessed valuation would be $71,500. That’s the number against which the mill levy is calculated. A mill levy of 100 would compute to a property tax bill of $7,150. It’s called a “mill” levy (from the Latin word for thousand) because it is levied against each thousand dollars of value. Thus, 100 mills x 71.5 = $7,150.

The math becomes complicated when the state legislature says, as it did last year, that $55,000 should be subtracted from the full valuation before calculating the assessed valuation. How much did that reduce taxes? $55,000 of reduced full valuation is worth $3,932.50 in reduced assessed valuation. At 100 mills, that’s worth about $393.25 off the home’s tax bill.

Although giving the total mill levy for each MLS listing would be a great improvement, the best way to inform buyers of the effect of a metropolitan tax district would be to say that there is such a tax district, and to add a separate field to enter the number of mills for that tax district.

vance of going under contract, but why not?

Recently, at an open house, a visitor told our broker associate that in California the questions he was asking about the HOA (such as why the HOA dues are so high) would be readily ascertainable in advance rather than only after going under contract.

When we have been on the buyer side, we have rarely found that a listing agent already has the HOA documents — and answers to important HOA questions — to provide us. That got us thinking, and the answer came last week when Pam Giarratano, our sales rep at First Integrity Title, brought to our office meeting Julietta Voronaov from Rexera. For a reasonable fee, Rexera provides all those required HOA documents prior to going on the MLS, so we can provide them to interested buyers and their agents.

Currently Rexera’s service is only available through our preferred title company, First Integrity Title. After Julietta’s presentation, our broker associates and I agreed that from now on, when we list a property that is located in an HOA, we will use First Integrity and order the pre-listing package from Rexera. We look forward to providing complete HOA information in advance from now on for all our listings that are located in a homeowner’s association.

Roadwork reveals old streetcar tracks

Colfax Avenue history comes to light amid construction chaos

BY KEVIN BEATY DENVERITE

Denverites willing to navigate Colfax Avenue’s ongoing construction got a glimpse of history recently.

When crews dug into asphalt at Franklin Street, in front of Voodoo Doughnut, century-old rail lines were waiting there to be unearthed.

For a day or two, you could see them as they looked when trolleys ran along the corridor at the turn of the 20th century.

“ is is something that happens periodically with construction projects in the city,” Ryan Keeney, a transportation planner and president of YIMBY (Yes In My BackYard) Denver, told us. “Colfax was remarkably striking because you could actually see all the rail ties, too. I mean, it looked like a railroad track underneath the street.”

e rail was buried when Denver pivoted to car-centric design in the mid 1900s. It’s being revealed as the city attempts to reverse that trend.

Keeney studied the city’s streetcars while he was working on a master’s degree at the University of Denver, and mapped where the old lines stretched across the city.

He said Denver’s most known commercial corridors — Tennyson Street, South Pearl, South Broadway, Colfax and more — are destinations today because of that urban planning e ort 100 years ago.

So there’s a little irony here, he agreed, that the old rail has been exposed by an e ort to improve transit in the city.

Construction began on Colfax in October for a Bus Rapid Transit project, which will eventually install bus lanes through the center of Colfax Avenue. e idea is

to make it easier to navigate Colfax without a car.

Keeney said urban planners embraced highways and parking lots as streetcars faded from Denver, sometimes demolishing homes and neighborhoods to make way for the tra c. ings have

changed in recent decades. “ e profession has done a 180, and has recognized the bene ts of mass transit, bicycling, even walking,” he added. “And now this has begun to be re ected in public policy. And one of the forms that’s taking is this BRT project.”

Transit, particularly the dense zoning it needs nearby to be successful, goes “hand in hand” with the advocacy he and his YIMBY Denver colleagues regularly advocate for.

Keep your eyes peeled. Rail sightings may be brief.

While some passers-by managed to see the Franklin Street tracks in their full glory, they were mostly torn up and twisted by the time we arrived the next day.

Nancy Kuhn, spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said most of the lines will remain undisturbed, underground — except where bus stations are planned, like on the Franklin block.

“ e railroad ties are considered hazardous, so the sections that are removed must be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility,” she added. “To remove those required coordination with the State Historic Preservation O ce.”

e tracks stretch from Broadway to Monaco, which means you’ll have chances to see the embedded history through 2026 as the project creeps eastward. Its complete footprint, all the way to I-225, is not expected to be completed until 2027.

e uncovering was a moment of delight, but people are still worried about the construction.

NEW YEAR, NEW PLAYS

JAN 17–MAR 9

The Su ragette’s Murder By Sandy Rustin

Directed by Margot Bordelon

Bus Rapid Transit construction on Colfax Avenue, at Franklin Street. Jan. 3, 2024. PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY/DENVERITE

TRACKS

Josh Bailey, at artist at Lifetime Tattoo at Colfax and Franklin, said he’d prefer easier access to the shop than any bus or historic intrigue.

“We’re a walk-in based business. We need people walking in. We need cars driving,” he said.

While his colleague, Kirk Wilken, agreed, he said he was also amused to see the tracks once they were uncovered.

“I think it looks cool. Why’d they ever do away with that?”

ROLLOUT

he said. “But yeah, it does really mess with everybody’s business. ere’s no place to park, dude.”

Keeney said impacts to local businesses worry him, too, but he’s not concerned about the parking. To him, this bus project, which revealed how Denver grew up in the rst place, is helping the city return to a more accessible era.

“Yeah,” he said, “we’re kind of correcting the mistakes of the past.”

is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

online or at 311. Residents are also reminded that plastic bags are not permitted in recycling bins.

Residents can see their own recycling or large item pickup week online and can also download the smart phone app to see the schedule and get reminders at Denvergov.org/TrashSchedule.

At a Denver City Council Budget and Policy Committee meeting in November, DOTI presented an update on the program to the City Council. DOTI mentioned that the changes will allow the department to move their illegal dumping clean up team from eight hours a week to a full-time crew at 40 hours per week.

Councilman Kevin Flynn said it would

be helpful if DOTI allows residents to have the option of the small compost bins because many residents in townhome communities don’t need the larger bins and often can’t t them in their garage.

DOTI indicated that is not an option as they have a low supply of the smaller bins, and they also have found that residents tend to overstu their bins, which is why the department is only o ering the larger compost bins.

Council President Amanda P. Sandoval, representative for North Denver, questioned why DOTI was dropping weekly recycling when the council members who sponsored the legislation to move to volume-based trash pricing in 2022 had made it clear that the move to weekly recycling was very important.

“It feels ba ing to me that you all are coming back saying that you didn’t have

it in the program to do weekly recycling,”

Sandoval said to DOTI leadership in the committee meeting.

Sandoval also expressed disappointment with the change to recycling every other week and also noted that her family has full recycling bins every week.

Councilman Paul Kashmann also noted it was very clear to him that weekly recycling was part of the volume based trash program during the process to pass the legislation. Councilman Chris Hinds, also expressed frustration that DOTI did not have a stakeholder process around changing to biweekly recycling.

In response to some of the comments, DOTI Director Amy Ford said research shows that while recycling is good from a reuse perspective, increasing compost is more bene cial from a greenhouse gas emissions perspective.

Compost bins from the city of Denver sit on a curb. COURTESY OF THE DENVER DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Old streetcar rails, revealed by Bus Rapid Transit construction here at Colfax Avenue and Franklin Street, sit in a twisted pile as they’re removed from the roadway. Jan. 3, 2024. PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY/DENVERITE

STOCK SHOW

Andrews has sentimental value in the things he will miss most as CEO of the NWSS.

“Really, it’s been the smiles that I get to see every day in January,” Andrews said. “I so look forward to watching all the families coming through the exhibits that we have here, seeing the animals in the petting farm where the kids are actually in there with animals.

“I’ll also miss the sta ,” Andrews continued. “I’ve become very close to both our sta and our volunteers, and I can tell you that our sta and our volunteers and our committees and our board are some of the best people on planet Earth, and I will miss them.”

e good news, Andrews said, is that he lives in nearby Arvada, so popping over to the NWSS is just a short drive.

National Western Center upgrades

e National Western Center is in the midst of its largest overhaul since the Stock Show came to Denver in 1906. Al-

though no new buildings are open for this year’s events, the Sue Anschutz Rogers Livestock Center will be open for the 2026 National Western Stock Show.

“We are currently working with the (National Western Center Authority board) and a development partner to build out an equestrian center, hotel and parking garage,” said Marcy Loughran, the chief communications o cer for the Denver Mayor’s O ce on the National Western Center. “ e current timeline for that is anticipated for either Stock Show 2028 or 2029.”

ere’s also the land known as the “tri-

angle,” an area that includes the Denver Coliseum and several other buildings. Discussions with local organizations that want to see the land repurposed for housing and other community uses are ongoing. e GES Coalition, a nonpro t that works with the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods, has been trying for years to make use of the land that would bene t the neighboring communities.

Loughran said the city is planning to meet with the coalition and community members in the near future to determine the best uses of the land.

Carly Allison, 9, from Aberdeen, South Dakota, showed a miniature Hereford in 2024 that originated from England in their small stature, then over time, they were bred to develop into the larger Hereford.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

National Western Stock Show CEO Paul Andrews is stepping down after this year’s events, but he said he will stay at the job until a suitable replacement is found. COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW

State tries new public health campaign about cannabis

E ort is part of drive looking at e ects of high-THC marijuana

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

In more than a decade since Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana for adults, state o cials have come up with a ton of ideas for delivering cannabis-cautious public health messages to the public.

ey tried stoner humor. ey tried highconcept art installations. ey tried … hoedown music?

e results have been decidedly mixed. But now state-funded researchers have launched a new campaign, backed by what they hope will be two secret ingredients: mountains of science and hours spent around the state listening.

e campaign is called e Tea on THC, and its roots stretch back to 2021, when the Colorado legislature tasked the Colorado School of Public Health with studying the e ects of highpotency cannabis. e rst phase of that process — a lengthy review of hundreds of studies on the subject — produced a 2023 report that summarized the ndings to that point. A complex data dashboard continues to add new studies to the analysis.

e Tea on THC represents the second phase of this research project: Turning the data into e ective public health messages. e campaign especially focuses on messages that caution about potential negative mental health consequences from using high-THC marijuana. “ is campaign lays out what we know and what we don’t to help the public make the bestinformed decisions possible,” Dr. Jonathan Samet, the former dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, who worked on the project, said this month during a campaign kick-o event. “Importantly, it encourages people to talk to each other openly and respectfully about cannabis use.”

What science says about high-THC cannabis

Samet’s acknowledgment of the unknowns is appropriate because there is still much to be learned.

It’s been barely a decade since Colorado’s rst recreational pot shops opened — the rst in the country. Since then, the cannabis industry both locally and nationally has undergone rapid transformation, developing and introducing both higher-potency marijuana buds but also concentrates and edible products that, combined, now make up nearly half of the market. is kind of accelerated evolution makes it di cult for careful, time-consuming science to catch up — especially because the federal prohibition of marijuana meant that, until recently, a lot of research pot came from a single source notorious for producing low-quality cannabis. “Today’s marketplace, the science lags what’s in it,” Samet said.

When the School of Public Health released the report on its ndings last year, researchers concluded there was at best only limited evidence to support many of the potential e ects of consuming high-THC cannabis, either good or bad. at includes questions like whether high-THC cannabis helps with pain or sleep or whether it worsens intellectual functioning.

Increased risk of psychosis e area of concern with the strongest evidence had to do with mental health. Researchers concluded there is moderate evidence that frequent use of high-THC cannabis can lead to worse mental health and psychosis, especially among those who are already at-risk.

Studies subsequently added to the analysis strengthened that concern, said Greg Tung,

one of the School of Public Health researchers who worked on the review.

“ at’s one of the strongest areas,” he said. “Speci cally within that broad umbrella, psychosis and psychotic disorders is one of the negative outcomes that has started to emerge with studies consistently showing an association between high-concentration product use, greater frequency, earlier initiation and psychotic disorders.”

Given this evidence — even if it is still somewhat murky — the research team decided it needed to move forward with a public health campaign focused on educating teens, as well as pregnant women and new mothers, on the risks of using high-THC cannabis.

“We’re not here for a de nitive answer just yet, but doing nothing isn’t an option,” Cathy Bradley, the School of Public Health’s current dean, said. “We have to inform. We have to use the best evidence we have and go forward.”

But, as Colorado’s history with cannabis PSAs shows, deciding how to do them is the bigger challenge.

Rat cages and banjo music

In 2014, shortly after the rst recreational cannabis shops opened in Colorado, state ocials tried their hand at a public health messaging campaign aimed at encouraging responsible use of the drug.

ey went with stoner humor.

In commercials showing befuddled cannabis users trying to light grills not connected to propane or trying to watch televisions they had neglected to secure to the wall, the state sought a new way to talk to the public about the potential harms of a newly legal substance. ( e campaign speci cally tried to prevent drugged driving.) But the ads were criticized for being condescending.

Next came a high-concept messaging campaign targeted at teens that featured humanscale rat cages installed across Denver as a way of warning about the dangers of marijuana use for a developing brain. (Campaign name: Don’t be a lab rat.) ose were promptly vandalized and ridiculed — so much so that at least one city balked at installing one.

en came another 180 — a campaign featuring hoedown music where listeners were told cannabis PSAs by a guy speaking in a folksy,

rhyming twang. ( at one may have actually worked.)

Colorado’s struggles are hardly unique. Public health campaigns around drugs are notoriously di cult to do well. Done poorly, they can back re.

All of this is to say that the team from the School of Public Health had its work cut out for it in designing an ad campaign that people would actually take seriously.

Enter: A Denver health care consulting rm and a former Denver Bronco.

‘Not another hot take’

Brandon Lloyd played 11 seasons as a wide receiver in the National Football League, including parts of three seasons in Denver, during one of which he led the league in receiving yards.

During much of his career, he said he used cannabis to cope with the stress and pressures of playing in the spotlight. His cannabis use continued into his post-playing career, when the loss of that fame led to new emotional challenges.

Lloyd said he stopped using cannabis about four years ago as he embraced a life lled with vigorous exercise, connection with friends and self care.

“All those tropes about marijuana not being addictive were just so false,” Lloyd says in a video recorded for e Tea on THC campaign. “ e high-concentration marijuana was incredibly addictive.”

Lloyd’s story shows one way that the campaign approaches its messaging — in addition to claims backed by studies, the campaign also wants to use personal experiences to drive home the concerns around high-THC cannabis.

e campaign also features videos of teens talking about their experiences with marijuana, as well as a mother whose son died by suicide after developing psychosis.

“It’s not another hot take on the cannabis industry,” Lloyd said at the campaign kick-o event. “We are actually a group of individuals who are sharing our stories, and we know that we’re not alone.”

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

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29th annual Denver Jewish Film Festival returns Jan. 23 to Feb. 2

Event features award-winning pictures, community events

BY JACQUI SOMEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e 2025 Denver Jewish Film Festival will run from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center at the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver).

is year, the festival will feature more than 20 lms that aim to “bring to life the unique perspectives of Jewish and Israeli lmmakers to entertain, challenge, and educate attendees.” Only lms demonstrating signi cant Jewish or Israeli content are accepted into the festival.

In its 29th year, the festival is a pillar of Denver’s lm scene. For one, it is highly regarded. According to the lm festival’s FilmFreeway page, the event received a “Top 5 Denver Film Festivals” laurel from Beverly Boy Productions in 2020.  e event also exposes the community to award-winning lms, unique stories and international perspectives.

“We look for lms that will balance our festival between those that have an important message, those that can make us laugh and entertain, and those that can teach us something new or explore an historical subject that has been little explored,” said Mark Boscoe, chairman of the lm selection committee.

Each year, great care goes into curating the festival.

“Every year, the Denver Jewish Film Festival continues to push boundaries and evolve by presenting di erent narratives and documentaries that include exciting supplemental programming,” said Tim Campbell, program director at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. Documentaries, comedies, narratives and shorts will be on display at this year’s festival, alongside events designed to bring

the community together.

“In addition to the 22 lms we are showing, we will also be hosting some fun events in conjunction with select movies,” Campbell said. “For example, on January 30, we will show a lm called Yaniv, about a high school teacher who participates in an underground card

game run by the Hasidic Jewish community to raise money for the school musical. e lm will be followed by a game night at JCC Denver.”

Stand-out films and events at the upcoming Denver Jewish Film Festival include: Opening night, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 23: “Running on Sand,” A movie about a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel who is about to be deported back to his home country. After a spontaneous escape attempt at the airport, he is mistaken for a Nigerian soccer striker. e opening night lm will be preceded by a VIP reception with Eritrean food at 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29: “We Will Dance Again,” A documentary about the Supernova Music Festival Massacre and the events that happened in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1: “Bad Shabbos,” A comedy, starring Kyra Sedgwick, about an engaged interfaith couple whose parents are about to meet for the rst time during a Shabbat dinner, when an accidental death gets in the way. e lm was the winner of the 2024 Tribeca Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Closing night, 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2: “Centered: Joe Lieberman,” a lm that examines the life and career of Joe Lieberman, the rst Jewish person to be a vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket in the U.S. Lieberman is celebrated in the lm for putting principles above party. is feature documentary chronicles Lieberman’s 40-plus years of public service. For a complete list of the 2025 Denver Jewish Film Festival lms and events, visit jccdenver.org/macc/ dj /.

Opening night of the festival, Jan. 23, features a film called “Running on Sand,” about Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel, who is about to be deported back to his home country.

After a spontaneous escape attempt at the airport, he is mistaken for a Nigerian soccer striker, which he embraces. COURTESY OF UNITED KING FILMS

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A year of reflection and renewal

As the calendar ips to a new year, it’s natural to pause and re ect on the one we’ve just completed. For some, it may have been a year of profound challenge, marked by the loss of a loved one, personal health battles or unforeseen traumas that reshaped the course of their lives. For these individuals, the arrival of a new year may feel like a much-needed turning of the page, an opportunity to leave pain behind and begin anew.

For others, the past year may have been lled with milestones and achievements, victories both personal and professional. It was a year of growth, learning and perhaps even celebration. As joyful as they may be, these moments often come hand in hand with failures and setbacks that taught invaluable lessons. Looking back, the make-up of highs and lows creates a narrative that fuels ambition for the year ahead.

path to success.

WINNING you

As we bid farewell to last year, take stock of what you achieved, what you learned and what you might have done di erently. Did you nd moments of courage? Did you navigate unexpected challenges with grace? Even in the most di cult of years, silver linings or small victories often pave the way for resilience.

e year ahead promises not just change but transformation. Technology, particularly advancements in articial intelligence, is accelerating faster than we ever imagined. From how we work to connect, AI is reshaping industries and relationships to how we de ne success. It’s an extraordinary opportunity but also demands adaptability and intentionality.

Focusing on toning the mind

WNo matter which side of this spectrum you nd yourself on or if your year included a mix of both, the beauty of this moment lies in its promise. We all have a blank canvas, a chance to envision what’s possible in the next 12 months. Whether we approach this year with hope, determination, or a bit of trepidation, one thing is certain: it is a year that holds potential for change, growth, and transformation.

e phrase “you’re only as good as your last win” resonates in sports, sales and life. It reminds us that success, while worth celebrating, is eeting without consistent e ort. But it’s equally valid that failure doesn’t dene us; it’s simply a step along the

As these changes unfold, they invite us to re ect on our personal goals. What does transformation look like for you? Perhaps it’s focusing on physical health, prioritizing mental wellness, or strengthening your spiritual practice. Maybe it’s developing new skills to stay ahead in your career or embracing the technology that once seemed intimidating. is could also be the year to deepen relationships with family, friends, colleagues or even yourself. Pursuing personal growth doesn’t need to be grandiose; often, the most transformational changes begin with small, consistent actions.

e start of a new year is a rare op-

portunity to rewrite the script. It’s an invitation to dream big and act boldly. But it’s also a reminder to pace ourselves, embrace progress over perfection and stay curious about the future.

Ask yourself: What do you want this year to mean? Is it the year you nally take that leap you’ve been hesitating over? Or is it the year you nd solace in the simple joys of life, treasuring time with loved ones and savoring moments of peace?

Whatever your vision, the blank canvas of the year ahead awaits your brushstrokes. It’s not about predicting what will happen; it’s about choosing how you will respond, grow and create meaning in the days and months to come.

As we close one chapter and open another, let’s celebrate the resilience that carried us through the last year and the hope that fuels the next. Whether this past year was one to cherish or endure, the road ahead holds promise.

May this be the year of transformation for technology, our communities, and ourselves. What will you make of it? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. e answer lies in the choices you make starting now. Here’s to the year ahead, your year to re ect, grow, and thrive. And as you do, it really will be a better-thangood life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

hen I began teaching freshman English, I knew I faced a challenge. Years of teaching eighth graders had taught me girls would read pretty much whatever I put before them. Boys, though, were a di erent story. By their early teens, they had been conditioned — programmed — to believe reading and writing were for girls and math and science were “masculine.” And if there is one thing most adolescent boys want to prove, it’s that they’re “real men.” Fortunately for me such a man serendipitously provided the answer: George Lucas. His “Star Wars” trilogy would become my hook. I felt con dent it would work because frosh boys, despite their puerile need to prove their masculinity, had not yet become jaded. at process would begin in a year or two. When I told them on our rst day that we would watch “Star Wars,” they were elated. But after the cheering subsided, I made it clear: ey would know “Star Wars.” I’d teach it in conjunction with “ e Odyssey, and it would become my vehicle for teaching other literary works and developing concepts like the epic hero. Decades later, I like to think they’re citing Yoda’s maxims such as “Do or do not, there is no try,” “Size matters not,” and “ at is why you fail” to their children or students.

If I had simply tried to impress those notions on my students via lecture, my words would’ve fallen at and gone in one ear and out the other. But Yoda said them, so they listened. Which gets at a fundamental aspect of literature: Even though characters might be ctional, their words can have far more impact and bearing on the human psyche than those coming from the mouths of parents, teachers, or preachers. Wise parents, teachers, and preachers know that. So too do the not-so-wise, and it scares the hell out of them.

In his New York Times essay “ e Plot Escapes Me,” James Collins, the author of “Beginner’s Greek,” explained how the sum of our entire literary experiences remains ever in memory. He described how Professor Maryanne Wolf, a trained neuroscientist, told him they become encoded by creating “pathways in the brain, [thereby] strengthening di erent mental processes.” at poses an interesting equation. For if our intellectual acumen, acquired wisdom, and philosophical outlook are in large part the sum of our reading experiences, logically it must mean the more we read, the greater is that sum. But it also must mean if one’s total of reading is sparse or zilch, the resulting sum is close to if not zero. After all, 0 + 0 = 0. Reading, however, is not solely an intellectual endeavor. It is, or should be, a pleasurable experience, an escape from the grind of daily life or an excursion, a journey to or foray into another dimension. As the Queen makes clear to her chief attendant in “ e Uncommon Reader,” books are not about passing the time but instead about other lives and worlds. If one wanted to do that, she suggests, one could y to New Zealand. Or Mazatlán. Or play a video game. Or watch sports.

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

Anew year, a clean slate. I always think of this as a great opportunity to take a new look at everything and make plans for the next 12 months. But then again, I am a planner. If you are not, then this may sound foreign to you, but it may still be worth your while to learn how to build the best strategy for 2025. Readers have been inundated with news about what to expect under the new president. Investors have concerns about not enough domestic help and therefore rising prices. Business owners are wondering how tari s will a ect their imported supplies and their exports. Taxpayers are in ux about the tax law sunset slated for the end of this year and how to plan for 2026. It is di cult to plan when there are so many unknowns.

Luckily, Mariner’s chief economist, William Greiner, has kept a level head and is holding steady with his economic outlook.

FABYANIC

Books, though, are not the only repository of great thoughts. e breadth of quality, worthwhile texts ranges wide, from essays and op-eds to full-blown novels. Yoda’s aphorism aptly states it: “Size matters not.” What matters is utilizing one of your greatest gifts: your ability to read. In the end, reading ought to be about opening and expanding the mind. Unfortunately, many read only texts that reafrm what they already hold to be true and refuse to allow anything that might chal-

New year, new strategies

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

is is based on the business cycle and the natural progression expected from the Federal Reserve Board. It does no good to play guessing games about much else until more unfolds. Typical of many campaign promises, the chances of everything being implemented exactly as claimed are very small.

We expect that economic growth will slow to 1.5% to 2% in 2025. is is down from the 2.5% to 3% we experienced in 2024, according to Greiner.¹ is view, along with in ation continuing to moderate, is similar to that of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Powell’s testimony in late December included his forecast that unemployment

lenge their worldview to enter — to pollute — their mind. Such readers remind me of those who see education as a process of “drilling and killing.” Drilling a rigidity of thought — an ideology — into the minds of young people with the intent of killing any sense of curiosity and willingness to question.

My goal as an English teacher wasn’t limited to the immediate concerns of my classroom and curriculum. I wanted also to foster a love of reading, of story, and of complex thinking so my students would not just be lifelong readers, but lifelong learners. I encouraged them to revisit in their adult years the novels we read to see if they’d glean more from them given their

is expected to go higher in 2025 to the 4.3 percent range. He stated that monetary policy will adjust as things progress. “If the labor market weakens or in ation falls, then we can decrease interest rates more aggressively,” he said.

I found it interesting that the last interest rate cut in mid-December triggered a stock market decline. Unfortunately, there was also no Santa Claus rally last year. is is when stocks do well in the last ve trading days of the year and into the rst two days of January. Instead, the markets ended on a sour note with ve consecutive days of decline from Dec. 26 through Jan. 2. However, it was a good year for the history books, with the S&P 500 rising more than 20% in 2024.²

Investors should consider planning for slower economic growth, slightly higher unemployment and potentially falling interest rates and moderating in ation. De-

velop a plan with your adviser to remain consistent with your investment strategy based on long-term growth potential and short-term interest rate declines. Bond investors should once again be rewarded with rising values as rates fall. Savers may not see their 4% and 5% yields on money markets or certi cates of deposit for a while. at renewal risk will be alive and well when new rates are posted at maturity. It may be time to look at a more productive strategy if this money is not your emergency reserves but keep in mind it is possible to lose money investing in securities.

1.William Greiner: ree Yards and a Cloud of Dust

2. JP Morgan: December FOMC

Patricia Kummer is managing director for Mariner, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

more mature minds. Like quoting Yoda’s aphorisms in their middle age, I sure hope they do.

With regard to my frosh boys, I was delighted to see my strategy working. ey were hooked, so much so that when reading “Romeo and Juliet” and other advanced works they would eagerly volunteer to read challenging roles, ask thoughtful questions, and o er insights that showed in-depth, critical thinking. ey had a blast and, most importantly, they learned. Imagine that.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

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Icing on the skate

Local outdoor rinks’ unique features, settings o er something for everyone

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Winter sports reign supreme along the Front Range. While the mountains and foothills o er plenty of places to ski, snowboard, snowshoe and spike-hike, the Denver metro area has opportunities galore to ice-skate and play hockey.

During the winter holidays, several local cities like Denver and Arvada host outdoor skating rinks in shopping centers or town squares. Some are only open through local schools’ winter break, but others remain open through January or February, depending on conditions.

Hours and prices vary, but most rinks o er rental skates or people can bring their own for lower-priced admission.

Although there are plenty of indoor skating options, many skaters prefer outdoor rinks’ atmospheres and open-air conditions. ey enjoy soaking up the sunshine or embracing the cold, depending on the weather.

Lakewood’s Greg Daniels and his three teenage children said skating outdoors is “more fun, more festive.” Also, indoor rinks tend to host more intense skaters, while outdoor ones like e Rink at Belmar are more casual, they said.

Leesa Stone, a former Parker resident, felt likewise. She liked the atmosphere at Parker’s Ice Trail at Discovery Park, with its holiday lights around the perimeter and its open replaces for people to warm themselves.

Plus, at places like Evergreen Lake, people come just to enjoy the views and skate on a real lake.

“We love the beautiful surroundings, being nestled here in the mountains,” Commerce City’s Michael Scanlon said of Evergreen Lake. “It adds to the ambiance.”

Whether they were experts or new to the sport, the skaters said local rinks o er something for people of all ages and experience levels.

“Everyone should try it,” Denver’s Marie Duran said.

And, as her 7-year-old Charlotte added, even if people don’t like skating, most rinks are in locations where people can easily nd other activities, like walking, sledding or shopping.

The Rink at Belmar

e Durans rst visited e Rink at Belmar last year and had fun. So, when Charlotte started asking to go skating this winter, the family returned to Belmar Jan. 2.

e rink, which is presented by Quantum Fiber and made of real ice, is in the middle of Lakewood’s Belmar Shopping District.

sphere and holiday lights. Maddi Harris and Kian Larson, students at Evergreen High School, were visiting Belmar for a date night and decided to rent skates before their movie. e two had also been skating at Evergreen Lake before. While it has its advantages, they liked Belmar’s festive atmosphere with all the holiday lights and the decorated evergreen tree near the rink.

“I prefer the holiday spirit here,” Larson said.

Evergreen Lake

Lara De Beer was visiting the area from Belgium, and for her last day in town, Evergreen’s Colin Saunder decided they should go skating at Evergreen Lake. De Beer had never skated on a lake before, and Saunder hadn’t been out on Evergreen’s in a while, so Jan. 2 seemed like the perfect time to try out the ice. While the lake is several acres in size, skating is only allowed on a portion of it. e maintained section near the Evergreen Lake House has a large perimeter that skaters can take laps around, as well as about a dozen small rinks people can use to play hockey, practice their skating technique and more.

People can buy tickets ahead of time or purchase walk-up tickets on a rstcome, rst-served basis. Private bookings and skating lessons can also be booked online.

Charlotte, who’s a big roller-skating fan, has enjoyed learning to ice skate. Her mom said the smaller rink is ideal for people like Charlotte who are learning to skate.

Duran also felt that e Rink at Belmar was reasonably priced, wellmaintained and “fun for all ages.”

Daniels estimated he and his family have been coming to the Belmar rink for about 10 years. ey tried to go skating before Christmas, but it was very busy. So, they opted to do their annual skating night Jan. 2 instead.

e family frequently shops at Belmar, and liked how close and convenient the rink was for them and other Lakewood residents.

e Daniels have been to other rinks in the area, like the one at Evergreen Lake, but the Belmar one’s atmo-

Because it is a lake, the dates and hours it’s open is weather-dependent. It was scheduled to be open through at least Jan. 25, when it would host the Pond Hockey Championships, but anyone wanting to visit should call the hotline at 720-8801391.

De Beer and Saunder both enjoyed the pleasant weather and mountain scenery from the lake, with Saunder describing how unique and special it is compared to other rinks around Denver.

“ ere’s no place like it,” he said.

Small outdoor rinks like the one in downtown Denver tend to be crowded, but Evergreen Lake has plenty of space for everyone, he added.

Michael Scanlon and his children, Alex and Isabel, felt likewise, describing how they’ve been visiting Evergreen Lake annually since the late ‘90s. Michael said they love the excitement and energy that seems to be inherent among outdoor skating rinks.

However, he added, he felt like the lake’s seasons were getting shorter as the lake doesn’t freeze over as early in the winter as it used to. It’s also grown so popular that parking can be di cult, he said.

People skate at Evergreen Lake Jan. 2., amid Je erson County’s scenic foothills. Several skaters said the scenery is one of the reasons they enjoy skating at Evergreen Lake. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

ICE SKATING

He recommended that anyone wanting to visit Evergreen Lake “should get here right when it opens,” because it’s usually less crowded and the ice is in the best condition.

e Martinez family from Colorado Springs also went skating during a day trip to Evergreen.

Lauren Martinez said she appreciated how the rink had plenty of pushable skating aids for children. Her family also enjoyed the nearby sledding hill. Overall, she said, they would be open to visiting it again.

Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park

Parker’s Josh Blaha and his family had planned to go skating in Denver during the evening Jan. 2. But that rink closed earlier in the evening, so they opted to visit the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park instead. It was right down the street and open later, he described.

“It’s nice to have something like this in our backyard,” he said of the ice trail.

Unlike a traditional rink, the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park is an ice-covered loop trail that’s about 450 feet around. It’s also not a perfect oval with some sharper corners to keep skaters on their toes.

In the summer, it’s a concrete walkway; but in the winter, sta members cover it with ice that they maintain with a Zamboni. It’s scheduled to be open for the season through Feb. 28.

While his family has been to other outdoor rinks, Blaha said they’re much farther away. Additionally, he thought the ice trail was a good size and didn’t feel too crowded.

Leesa Stone, who lived in Parker for more than 20 years before moving to Utah, was happy that Parker had an outdoor rink of its own.

She’s been skating before at e Pond Ice Rink at Southlands, saying that while she liked the lights at e Pond Ice Rink better, she overall liked the Parker Ice Trail more. She said it felt bigger and like that it was one-way only. Plus, the open replaces and overhead heater at the admissions booth are nice touches, she added.

Avery Jones and her family said the shape was also unique. ey thought it motivated some people to skate faster than they would at a regular rink, while others might go slower.

Like the Blaha family, Avery and Zach Jones said they appreciated having an outdoor skating feature so close to home. ey added that it was the perfect thing to do over the holidays, as it’s a very approachable activity for families.

So, whether it’s a family outing, date night, a casual jaunt to soak up the sun or a serious training session, skaters agree the Denver area is the place to be.

Denver’s Marie Duran, left, skates at The Rink at Belmar Jan. 2. Duran and her daughter wanted to come back after visiting the rink for the first time last year. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

Lara De Beer, far left, and Evergreen’s Colin Saunder skate around Evergreen Lake Jan. 2. De Beer was visiting from Belgium, and Saunder thought skating at Evergreen Lake would be a fun activity for her last day visiting.

Parker’s Avery Jones helps her 5-year-old Rylee as she learns to skate Jan. 2 at the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park. The feature, which is a concrete walkway in the summer and is iced down in the winter, is scheduled to be open through Feb. 28.

An employee drives the Zamboni around The Rink at Belmar Jan. 2. The rink, which is scheduled to be open through Jan. 26, is in the middle of the Belmar Shopping District.

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January 16, 2025

SECOND NOTICE TO MORTGAGEES IN THE PARK MAYFAIR CONDOMINIUMS COMMUNITY

Second Notice is hereby given to all mortgagees within the Park Mayfair Condominiums community in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, that the Park Mayfair Condominium Association, Inc. is seeking mortgagee approval of a proposed Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration for Park Mayfair Condominiums (the “Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment can be obtained at the following address: Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228. Failure of any mortgagee to deliver a negative response to the Park Mayfair Condominium Association, Inc., c/o Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228, within 60 days shall be deemed consent on behalf of the mortgagee.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3414

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

Date: December 30, 2024

Holders of first mortgages (as shown on the recorded deeds of trust or assignments in the Denver County records) on Units in the Southmoor Racket Club are hereby advised that Association is proposing an Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration for Southmoor Racket Club (“Proposed Amendment”) amending the Condominium Declaration for Southmoor Racket Club, recorded on June 29, 1971 in Book 344, at Page 412, as amended by the Amendment to the Condominium Declaration for Southmoor Racket Club recorded on July 16, 2012 at Reception No. 2012092692 in the records of the Denver County Clerk and Recorder (collectively, “Original Declaration”). This notice has been sent by certified mail to first mortgagees along with a consent form and a copy of the Proposed Amendment. A copy of the Proposed Amendment and consent form can be obtained by contact-

ing attorney Lauren Holmes, 1445 Market Street, Suite 350, Denver, CO 80202, (720) 221-9784.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3410

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Published in Denver Herald-Dispatch.

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Roberto Yslas, a/k/a Rob Ysla, Deceased Case Number: 24PR031385

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court, Denver County, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Roberto Yslas, Jr.

Personal Representative c/o Douglas A. Turner, P.C. 602 Park Point Drive, Suite 240 Golden, CO 80401

Legal Notice No. DHD 3416

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Danelle Kuhn, Deceased

Case Number: 2024PR31351

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Auralea Carroll

Personal Representative for the Deceased 112 Park Place Salida, CO 81201

Legal Notice No. DHD 3418

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of MARGARET LUTZ STAVROS, Deceased

Case Number 2024PR31469

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Charles D. Lutz Ill

Personal Representative

200 Patterson Avenue, #202 San Antonio, TX 78209

Legal Notice No. DHD 3422

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JONATHAN MICHAEL ELLIS, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31413

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Anthony Caselli, Personal Representative 2237 West 30th Avenue Denver, CO 80211

Legal Notice No. DHD 3409

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Margaret Lucille St. Peter, a/k/a Margaret L. St. Peter, a/k/a Margaret St. Peter, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031474

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the

City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 9, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Martin St. Peter

Personal Representative

3179 N. 150th Drive

Goodyear, AZ 85395

Legal Notice No. DHD 3416

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Beatrice A. Georgopulos, aka Beatrice Ann Georgopulos, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31374

All representative persons or having to claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 9, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kristi Radosevich, Attorney to the Personal Representative PO Box 2708 Elizabeth, CO 80107

Legal Notice No. DHD 3417

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Thomas Perry Jones, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 031441

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Anna L. Burr, Esq. Attorney ot the Personal Representative

2851 South Parker Road, Suite 230 Aurora, Colorado 80014

Legal Notice No. DHD 3419

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Public Notices

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of NORMA J COFFELT, a/k/a NORMA JEAN COFFELT, a/k/a NORMA COFFELT, a/k/a NORMA J HOLMSTROM, a/k/a NORMA JEAN HOLMSTROM, a/k/a NORMA HOLMSTROM , Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31365

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, on or before May 9, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dalila Ponce Orozco

Personal Representative

101 E. 88th Ave. Apt. B111 Thornton, CO 80229

Legal Notice No. DHD 3411

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Celestine Marie Blair, a/k/a Celestine M. Blair, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31133

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, on or before March 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carla M. Allen, Personal Representative 19921 E. Harvard Ave. Aurora, Colorado 80013

Legal Notice No. DHD 3420

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

DENVER PROBATE COURT, DENVER COUNTY, COLORADO 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230 Denver, CO 80202

In the Matter of the Estate of:

WILLIAM PEAY, Deceased.

Attorneys for Carla Peay, Petitioner

Joseph M. Elio, #14066

Joel A. Miley, #59242

John W. Vissing, #60202

Law One: 1434 Blake Street, Ste. 200, Denver, CO 80202

p: (303) 831-8313 || f: (720) 500-0241

jelio@elawone.net || jmiley@elawone. net jvissing@elawone.net

Case Number: 2024PR31468

AFFIDAVIT REGARDING DUE DILIGENCE AND PROOF OF PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §§ 15-10-401(1)(c) AND 15-10-401(3), C.R.S.

Full Name: W. Perrin Peay

Last Known Address: 4394 South Genoa Ct, Centennial, CO 80015

Describe Effort to Identify and Locate: Family members and internet search

Publication of the Notice of Hearing by Publication was made on January 16, 23, 30, 2025 once a week for 3 consecutive weeks with the last date of the publication being at least 14 days before the date of the hearing.

[x] By checking this box, I am acknowledging I am filling in the blanks and not changing anything else on the form.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3421

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jon A. Bell, a/k/a Jon Andrew Bell, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31134

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Baysore & Christian Fiduciary Services, LLC -- Karen Miller 7000 E. Belleview Ave-STE 150 Greenwood Village. CO 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3407

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO·CREDITORS

Estate of Ann Scherschel, a/k/a Ann Grepo Scherschel, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 31505

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Pamela A. Kaufman

Personal Representative 3576 Peruvian Torch Drive Loveland, CO 80 537

Legal Notice No. DHD 3397

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Robert James Perri, a/k/a Robert J. Perri, a/k/a Robert Perri, a/k/a Bob Perri, Deceased Case Number 2024PR31391

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, located at 1437 Bannock Street, #230, Denver, Colorado 80202, on or before May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Whitney Shea Bakarich, Personal Representative c/o Joe D. Kinlaw, II, Esq. Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C. 18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200 Castle Rock, Colorado 80104

Legal Notice No. DHD 3408

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Edward J. Palent, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31370

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Shelli Bischoff, Personal Representative 7752 E. 4th Ave Unit 3B Denver, CO 80230

Legal Notice No. DHD 3412

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of: Shizuko Susie Ohara, also known as Shizuko S. Ohara, also known as Shizuko Ohara, also known as Susie Ohara, also known as Shizoku Susie Ohara, Deceased

Case Number 2024PR31499

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kathy Sue Ohara

Personal Representative 120 S Marion Parkway Denver, CO 80209

Legal Notice No. DHD 3415

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of

William Henry Johnson, Jr., aka William H. Johnson, Jr., aka William Johnson, Jr. Deceased

Case Number: 2024PR31132

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gretchen Denise Graves

Personal Representative

Ashlee E. Dunham (54798) FRIE, ARNDT, DANBORN & THIESSEN P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd, Ste. 201 Arvada, CO 80003

Phone Number: 303-420-1234

Attorney for Gretchen Denise Graves Personal Representative

Legal Notice No. DHD 3406

First Publication: January 2, 2025 Last Publication: January 16, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of YOULON DAVINCI SAVAGE, aka YOULON D. SAVAGE, aka YOULON SAVAGE, aka YOULON MORRIS SAVAGE, Deceased

Case Number 2024PR31467

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Daryl Savage, Personal Representative c/o Solem Woodward & McKinley P.C. 750 W. Hampden Ave, Suite 505

Three Colorado state parks increase entry fees

Chatfield, Golden Gate

Canyon, State Forest will keep extra funds for local projects

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

If you don’t have the Keep Colorado Wild pass in your car this year, you’ll be paying two bucks more a day at three state parks.

Chat eld, Golden Gate Canyon and State Forest state parks will be charging $2 more for daily passes in 2025, up from the usual $10 fee to enter all the other state parks. e extra charge is authorized in two pieces of legislation in recent years aimed at allowing parks and their surrounding communities to determine speci c needs and a higher fee whose proceeds could be kept local instead of

ity, which is the guardian of water quality, recreation resources and wildlife habitat in the areas upstream on the South Platte River from the big reservoir. e main goal for the $2 fund is to lessen the amount of phosphorus that arrives through runo and promotes algae blooms that harm aquatic life and interfere with recreation. Some of that new money will also go after excess chlorophyll in runo .

Golden Gate Canyon and State Forest will charge $12 under a di erent state bill that authorized them to raise the fee to help improve local roads and access. e extra $2 will go to Gilpin and Jackson counties, respectively, for their road maintenance and improvement funds that address needs surrounding the parks.

Frequent users of those three popular parks will likely see the Keep Colorado Wild pass as an even better deal now,

since the $29 statewide access price isn’t changing. You can pay the annual pass fee next time your auto registration comes due, though you’ll have to purchase a pass for each car you plan to use — the pass is on your registration, so it’s not transferable from one vehicle to another.

e cheap annual passes mean daily pass collections at most state parks are heading steadily downward. Total daily pass purchases at Chat eld, just southwest of Denver, dropped by nearly 5,000 in 2023 from 2022.

Still, the daily pass is popular enough that the $2 fees will accumulate for some time. Just under 105,000 users bought daily passes at Chat eld in 2023. at was down from about 138,000 daily pass sales in 2020, northeast region state parks spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

State might have your money — here’s how to get it back

Colorado inflation was less than U.S. overall

BY ELYSE APEL THE CENTER SQUARE

Colorado reported lower than average year-over-year change in prices in 2024, according to a new report from the state’s Legislative Council Sta .

While the national average at the end of 2024 was 2.7% in ation, Colorado’s was 2%. Colorado in ation was measured using prices in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area.

Housing was the biggest reason for the di erence in national and state in ation numbers. While nationally housing made up 1.8% of the contribution to in ation, in Colorado it made up just 0.4%.

at is down signi cantly from the peak in housing in ation in 2022, when overall in ation also peaked in Colorado at almost 10% year-over-year. at could partly be due to a decrease in home prices in Denver in 2024, down 3% from 2022.

Still, Coloradans are seeing a signicant overall rise in costs.

According to a report from the U.S. Senate’s Joint Economic Committee, Colorado ranked number one in the nation for increased costs compared to 2021.

“ e average household in Colorado is paying $1,332 more per month to purchase the same basket of goods and services as in January 2021,” stated the report. “Cumulatively, the average Colorado household has spent $42,079 more due to in ation since January 2021.”

Overall, unemployment rates are beginning to tick up, both nationally and in Colorado, the state’s report found. Down from the pandemic’s 12%, Colorado’s unemployment rate is currently 4.1%.

BY HAYLEE MAY CPR NEWS

is new year, Coloradans have an opportunity to reunite with their missing, lost, or forgotten valuables being held for them by the state.

Also known as e Great Colorado Pay-

Englewood, Colorado 80110

Legal Notice No. DHD 3423

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

back, the state’s Unclaimed Property fund was created in 1987 as a consumer protection program to keep both intangible things, like savings accounts and unpaid wages, as well as tangible items — like gift cards — safe in perpetuity, allowing people to claim their items without time limits.

e physical vault located in the back of the state treasurer’s o ce holds everything from war medals to baseball cards with an active list of more than 7.6 million owners.

e state sends notices of unclaimed property in the mail, but you can also search your name at the website colorado. ndyourunclaimedproperty.com, to learn if there’s something of value that you’ve forgotten or lost.

e treasurer says the fund has reunited Coloradans with more than $750 million in lost property as of 2024.

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

Government jobs had one of the highest gains year-over-year in 2024 from 2023, with a 4.1% increase. e only other tracked sectors that ranked higher were “mining and logging” and “other services.”

Real personal income growth in Colorado (2.5%) was above the state’s historical average of 1.7%, but lower than the national average of 2.8%.

Republished from e Center Square, a national news service that is the project of the nonpro t Franklin News Foundation, headquartered in Chicago.

ent them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Todd A. Falbo, Personal Representative c/o Pearman Law Firm

Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Legal Notice No. DHD 3417

First Publication: January 16, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Golden Gate Canyon and State Forest will charge $12 to help improve local roads and access. The extra $2 will go to Gilpin and Jackson counties, respectively, for their road maintenance and improvement funds that address needs surrounding the parks